Effectiveness of the Public Procurement Act on State and Local Government Construction Projects in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Enacted in 2007 upon World Bank recommendation, Nigeria’s Federal Public Procurement Act established a mandatory framework to ensure transparency, competition, and value for money in public procurement. Adhering to this mandate, Yobe State enacted its Public Procurement Law in 2016, covering the state government and its 17 local government areas. This study examines the effectiveness of the law on state and local government construction projects, utilizing questionnaires from 320 participants selected through a purposive, maximum variation sampling technique. Seven construction success factors identified in the law were analyzed based on field data, which showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.865). The analysis yielded an overall weighted mean score of 2.25 on a 4-point Likert scale, indicating overwhelming dissatisfaction with the law’s effectiveness on state and local government construction projects in Yobe state. Regarding the seven factors, the study revealed that construction delivery suffers from high bureaucratic inefficiency and lack of transparency (71.43% dissatisfaction), irregular issuance of certificate of no objection (79.07% dissatisfaction), and poor regulatory compliance (73.95% dissatisfaction). This exists despite moderate satisfaction (66.28%) in the payment of mobilization fees and some level of satisfaction (57.98%) in final project delivery. Conversely, contractors were found wanting in the presentation of bid security (83.72% dissatisfaction) and performance guarantee (79.07% dissatisfaction). The study concludes that the law is largely ineffective on state and local government construction projects in Yobe State. Consequently, it recommends strengthening regulatory oversight, digitizing procurement processes for enhanced transparency, and training procurement officers on mandatory legal compliance.